For Immediate Release: April 18, 2016 : Trish McKeon 216-640-8658 / [email protected]

“REJOICE. It is even more glorious than promised.” – New York Times

“ in a blue moon, a show comes out blazing and restores your faith in Broadway.” –

MATILDA THE MUSICAL

WILL MAKE ITS PREMIERE IN CLEVELAND!

TIME Magazine’s #1 Show of the Year, THE MUSICAL, is coming to Cleveland as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series. Produced by the Royal Shakespeare and the Dodgers, the first national tour of will be coming to Playhouse Square, May 3-22.

Winner of 50 international awards including 4 ® and a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards ® including Best Musical, MATILDA THE MUSICAL is based on the beloved novel by best-selling author (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox). It is the story of an extraordinary girl who dreams of a better life. Armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, Matilda dares to take a stand and change her destiny.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL is directed by Tony Award® winner (God of Carnage), who helms this production with a book by Tony Award®-winning playwright and music and lyrics by Australian comedian, musician and composer .

The production has sets and costumes by Tony Award® winner , with choreography by , orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Tony Award® winner , and sound by Simon Baker.

Performances run from May 3 - 22. Tickets on sale now: $10 - $110, available at playhousesquare.org, 216- 241-6000 or the Playhouse Square Ticket Office. Groups of 15 or more call group sales at 216-640-8600. MATILDA THE MUSICAL is part of the KeyBank Broadway Series at Playhouse Square.

For additional information, photographs and interview requests, please contact Trish McKeon at 216-640-8658, [email protected] or visit playhousesquare.org/presskit.

For additional information, visit: www.matildathemusical.com/tour www.matildathemusical.com @MatildaBroadway www.facebook.com/MatildaOnBroadway

THE RSC (Producer). The Royal Shakespeare Company creates theatre at its best, made in Stratford-upon- Avon and shared around the world. Everyone at the RSC - from actors to technicians, milliners to musicians - plays a part in creating the world you see on stage. Our work begins its life at our Stratford workshops and theatres and we bring it to the widest possible audience through our touring, residencies, live broadcasts and online activity. So wherever you experience the RSC, you experience work made in Shakespeare’s home town. We encourage everyone to enjoy a lifelong relationship with Shakespeare and live theatre. We produce an inspirational artistic programme each year, setting Shakespeare in context, alongside the work of his contemporaries and today’s writers. We have trained generations of the very best theatre makers since the Company was founded and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. We reach 450,000 children and young people annually through our education work, transforming their experiences in the classroom, in performance and online. www.rsc.org.uk

THE DODGERS (Producer). Dodger Properties is a producing partnership hatched at BAM in 1978 by six friends: Michael David, Edward Strong, Rocco Landesman, Des McAnuff, Doug Johnson and Sherman Warner. From the initial foothold in Brooklyn, the Dodger family grew, migrated to the NY Shakespeare Festival, then to off and on Broadway, where their productions have garnered a host of national (Tony, Drama Critics Circle, Obie) and international (Olivier, Helpmann and Dora) awards. Current Broadway: Matilda, . Other Broadway: , , The Farnsworth Invention, Dracula, , (’87 and ’02), , , Wrong Mountain, Footloose, Mandy Patinkin, High Society, 1776, …Forum, The King and , The Who’s Tommy, ’ , , Once Upon a Mattress, How to Succeed…, Jelly’s Last Jam, The Secret Garden, Prelude to a Kiss, The Gospel at Colonus, , Pump Boys and Dinettes. In addition to Matilda and Jersey Boys on Broadway, the Dodgers are producers of current Jersey Boys productions in London, Las Vegas, and touring productions in North America and the United Kingdom

The RSC Literary Department is generously supported by THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST.

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